
1LLU5TRATLD HISTORY 
1 868 to 1 880 




Illustrated History of Larly Wichita 



Incidents of Pioneer Days 



t^temm^^ 






sS^ 



Compiled by and Written for 

The Daughters of the American Revolution . ^^< 



Copvrighled October 1914 



By Lunice Sterling Chapter, (Wictiita, Kansas) Daugtiters of the American Revolution 




Wichita 



The caravans paused where the two rwers meet. 
On the wild bare plain in the sun's white rag. 
And thus was she born in the desert's heat. 
That uncouth maiden of yesterday. 
The red-skinned foe and the buffalo 
Roamed at will on her prairies free, 
And her loyal few, to her promise true, 
Built their homes on her wind-swept lee. ' 

Copyrighted, all righls reserved. 



Today, high enthroned over all western lands. 
In gardens of fruit and ripening fields. 
With riches o'erflowing from generous hands. 
She scatters fier bounty her husbandman yields. 
She stands at her gates and beckoning waits. 
In the midst of her yellowing grains. 
And she welcomes you here with a smile of good cheer. 
All hail to the Queen of the Plains. 

'-Katherine Jackson. 



©CI,A;5H6o88 



OCT 19 1914 



Introduction 



MARY DLMING BITTING 




JNICE STERLING CHAPTER, 
Daughters of the American 
Revolution, a National histori- 
cal organization, has for one of 
its objects the preservation of 
historic spots, and the accumu- 
lation of historic data of 
pioneer settlement, that the 
children of today, and genera- 
tions to come, may be in touch with the interest- 
ing local history of their forefathers, which they 
should know. 

The state organization of the Daughters of 
the American Revolution marked the Santa Fe 
trail through Kansas, and the local Eunice 
Sterling Chapter, which is the strongest in Kan- 
sas, erected a special marker where the Santa Fe 
Trail crosses the city park at Lost Springs. They 
placed a Lincoln memorial tablet on the wall of 



the lower corridor of the new Wichita High School 
building, and in the year 1908 in honor of Wich- 
ita's fortieth birthday, they published a souvenir 
historic booklet of pioneer days. 

The history of the past, as related by the 
early pioneers should be preserved, as they gave 
to Wichita the best that they had— the best 
should return to them. Some at this time are 
cur most active citizens. Others still tread life's 
path, but with most uncertain feet, and many 
have crossed the border. But to all of them we 
are thankful for their labor, courage and zeal 
that has made our today so glorious, and we shall 
strive that the coming generations may look back 
upon our efforts w^th the same grateful reverence 
that we of the present feel for those whose names 
and works are set down in this little book. 



History 




Jesse Chisholm 



Little is known of the Little 
Arkansas river prior to 1860. In 
Du Pratz's map of Louisiana, pub- 
lished in 1757, in which the course 
of the Arkansas river is properly 
laid down, at the juncture of the 
two rivers, is marked "A Gold 
Mine." In 1836 Jesse Chisholm 
guided a party from Arkansas, in 
search of this mine or buried 
treasure, to the mouth of the 
Little Arkansas. There is a tra- 
dition that long ago a paity from 
New Mexico, descending the river 
in boats, were surrounded by In- 
dians in the night at this point 
and after a siege of several days were all killed but one, 
who escaped after he had buried their gold and silver. 
Whether tiue or not, this valley has been a gold mine 
to the industrious agriculturist. 

In the Fall of 1863 came the affiliated bands com- 
prising the Wichita Indians. They made their village on 
the Little River near its junction in the timber — some 
fifteen hundred of them. They bu'lt cone shaped houses 
of poles thatched with giass. They flourished on buffalo 
meat and the fine gardens of corn, beans, squash and 
melons they raised the next summer. The most influ- 
ential man among these Indians was Jesse Chisholm, of 
Cherokee-Scotch descent. He, in his younger days, had 
bought captive Mexican children from the Comanches 
and raised them as members of his family. He was the 
first person to build a house on Chisholm creek. 

The Treaty of the "Little Arkansas" was held on the 
east bank of the Little Arkansas river, about six miles 
above its mouth, in October, 1865. 



The Indians, several hundred in number, camped along 
the river, on eithei- side, as did one or two companies of 
soldiers who were present. The Wichita, Waco, Caddo, 
Towakony, Kechi and other Indians, some 1500 in num- 
ber, were living here at the time. 

General Hainey and Kit Carson were the most noted 
persons present. 

In 1866 the United States Government by a treaty 
held at Medicine Lodge, acquired the land on which Wich- 
ita stands from the Osage Indians. 




A Go\'eninKiu Sur\e.\'iiiM" party on the present townsite in 1876 
fur ilie purpose of surve.ving tlie eoiintry previous to its opening 
lor .>ietllement. Following tliis survey tliere drifted into the coun- 
try some of tlie most vieiou.s and lawless characters to be found 
in the west, rrohihition pre\ ailed, in fact as well as in name, 
until ilu- white man came. 



Larly Wichita 

By K05 HARRIS 



"Gather rosebuds while iie mav. 

Old Time is still a-fl0ing: 

The fairest rosebud o' todav. 

Tomorrow mav he duiug " 

"One generation passeih awau and another one cometh." 

The common-place acts of today, 
the tittle-tattle of yesterday and 
the things passed by the unheeded 
tomorrow may be hunted up, pre- 
served and treasured by future 
generations. 

The Daughters of the American 
Revolution, of Wichita, in this 
spirit, have prepared this booklet 
to preserve Early Wichita, to en- 
able those who shall come after, 
as they walk upon the sidewalks, 
drive on the paved streets, look 
upon the splendid buildings cre- 
ated by the wealth of this generation, and enjoy the pub- 
lic |)arks, to, in some measure, call up the past and com- 
prehend the poor beginnings, and early struggles of the 
pioneers, who founded a town on buffalo grass, rank with 
sunflowers, far removed from commerce and railways, 
and as a fruit of their industry, ambition and faith, beheld 




Wm Greiffenstein 



a city that provoked the envy of the elder towns of Kan- 
sas, became the admiration of all beholders and is now 
the one commercial City of Kansas, whose future will 
bring a thousand blessings to those who shall be its citi- 
zens, when "we things that are now" have become as dust 
of ashes. 

Some buildings, shown in this booklet, were built at 
a time when the total taxable value of Sedgwick County 
was less than the value of the Schweiter Building. 

The gathering together of the old photographs herein 
has been a labor of months by the Daughters of the 
American Revolution, of Wichita, and as years come and 
go, those who possess them will not only prize them, but 
will hand them down to their children and grandchildren, 
as heir-looms. 

To write the early history of Wichita would mar.e a 
volume, and therefore, only data is given of things pre- 
served in an hundred other places to verify which would 
take days of time and hours of weary labor. 

The Wichita Town Company was formed at Emporia, 
Kansas, April 27th, 18(58, and had for its object the land 
North of Central Avenue and West of Lawrence Avenue 
to Waco Street. 

Greiffenstein's Plat of the City of Wichita, was South 
of Central Avenue, West of Lawrence and North of 




Wm. Matthewson 



^ Douglas Avenue. The Town Plat 

of the City of Wichita, composed 

Bi '■ ■^■H T "^ '•^^'- P^^ °^ ^^^ ^^*y West of 

I Jr ^^Bii i Lawrence Avenue and North of 
f MV'ML ■« i Douglas Avenue, platted by Mun- 
Jb ^^ V^B^,! ger and GreifFenstein, by mutual 
agreement, was filed on the :^5th 
day of March, 1870, and became 
the Original Town of the City of 
Wichita. 

Greiffenstein's Addition a n d 
English Addition, South of Douglas 
Avenue, and Mead's Addition, East 
of Lawrence Avenue, were thereafter taken into the City 
and comprise a portion of the City of Wichita. The West 
Side, under The Wichita Town Company, was taken by 
Trustees, under the laws of the United States, and there- 
after was annexed to, and became a part of, the City. 

When Greiffenstein built the Eagle Block, shown in 
this' booklet, Douglas Avenue was indistinguishable from 
the sunflowers and buffalo grass, both North and South 
of it. 

There is a legend that Douglas Avenue was to be one 
hundred feet wide, but by carelessness and a wet rope, 
it was staked out so as to be one hundred and fourteen 
feet wide. 

There is also another legend that when GreifFenstein 
built the Eagle Block, no one thought anything about the 
chimneys until the building had reached above the second 
story. This discovery required the tearing down of a 
portion of the building and rebuilding the same. The 



stone in the old Eagle Block was obtained from a quarry 
about three and one-half miles North of Wichita, and there 
was not enough stone to complete the building and this, 
so far as known, was the only stone quarry ever dis- 
covered in Sedgwick County, Kansas. 

Among those who inhabited the Townsite in about 
1867, were Greiffenstein, J. R. Mead, Eli Waterman, H. W. 
Vigus and wife, D. S. Munger, Durfee and L^drick. Mrs. 
Vigus, so far as known, was the first white woman of the 
Townsite of Wichita. 

Originally, Greiffenstein had a trading post on the 
Cowskin, near where old Jamesburg was located in 1865. 

Shortly afterwards, Jesse Chisholm, who was part 
Indian, established a ranch about three miles Northwest 
of the City, between the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers 
and in 186.5, Dvrfee and Ledrick started their ranch on 
the banks of the Little River, near the site of the old 
Woodman homestead on Waco. 

The location of the town of Wichita became known 
as Wichita, though not platted until sometime thereafter. 

In the summer of 1868, the postoffice was first estab- 
lished, with Milo B. Kellogg as Postmaster. 

Between what thereafter became Douglas Avenue and 
First Street, a ferry boat line was established across the 
Arkansas River. 

In July, 1870, Wichita was incorporated as a town. 
On April 3, 1871, the town became a city of the third 
class. Of the city officers elected at that time, only 
Dr. Fabrique, one of the Councilmen, and H. E. Vantrees, 
Police Judge, are yet living. 



In May, 1870, the first bakery was opened on the site 
of the present Baltimore Hotel, by E. H. Nugent. J. P. 
Allen opened the first drug store on Waco Avenue, North 
of the old Woodman residence, in 1870. 

In June, 1870, was the first term of the District 
Court of Sedgwick County, Kansas. This court was held 
in the second story of a livery stable on the West side 
of Main Street, near the corner of Third Street. At that 
time, the resident attorneys of Wichita were Judge H. C. 
Sluss, Rueben Riggs and P. T. Weeks. 

In the winter of 1871, the Land Office was removed 
from Augusta, Kansas, to Wichita. 

The first newspaper established in the City of Wich- 
ita was by W. B. Hutchinson and Fred Sowers, called 
The Vedette, in 1870. Subsequently, The Wichita Eagle 
was established on April 13, 1872, by Col. M. M. Murdock, 
and The Wichita Eagle became a daily paper on May 21st, 
1884. 

In October, 1872, Floyd and Sowers founded The 
Wichita Daily Beacon. This paper was ahead of the town 
and died in its infancy. 

History says it was in June, 1871, that Abilene and 
Wichita became rivals for the Te.\as cattle trade. 

In 1874, Wichita shippsd, according to data, some- 
where near seventy thousand head of cattle. 

In September, 1871, the last large herd of buffalo 
passed through Sedgwick County from the Northwest and 
came within ten miles of the City on the West. 

On March 15, 1872, the Santa Fe Railroad was com- 
pleted to Wichita. 



On June 12, 1872, the old toll bridge, shown in the 
cuts in this booklet, was opened to travel. 

In February, 1875, Wichita had its first big fire on 
North Main Street, the loss of which was Twenty Thou- 
sand Dollars, which was a large amount in that day. 
In December, 1875, another fiie occurred on North Main 
Street, the loss of which was Fourteen Thousand Dollars. 

In 1878, by a quotation in an historical book, the 
Occidental Hotel, now the Baltimore, was the only three 
story building in Southwest Kansas. 

May 28th, 1880, the Frisco Railroad was completed 
to Wichita. 

In April, 1871, an ordinance was enacted by the City 
of Wichita, that all saloons should close at 12 o'clock. 




Birds tve View 1 878 
South Side of Douglas Avenue from Santa Fe Averue Looking \\ est 




midnight, on Saturday and not 
oi)en until four o'clock A. M. on 
Monday morning. This would in- 
dicate that the dram drinkers at 
that date were "early risers." 

Also, ahout the same time, an 
ordinance was passed that no hay 
should be stacked on any lot 
North of English Street, South of 
Third Street, East of Water 
Street or West of Lawrence Ave- 
nue, or any lot fronting on Doug- 
las Avenue. 
The Catholic Church in Wichita was organized in 
November, 1872, by Bishop L. M. Fink of Leavenworth, 
Kansas. The Baptist Church in Wichita was organized 
May 26th, 1872. 

In 1878, there was a school building in the fourth 
ward, one in the first ward and one in the second ward. 
The fourth ward building was built in 1870, the first 
ward building on South Lawrence Avenue, in 1877, and 
the second ward building on Wichita Street, in 1877. The 
entire seating capacity of these school houses was four 
hundred and fifty. 

The old Douglas Avenue hotel was built in the late 
fall and early spring of 1872 and stood on the corner of 
Water Street and Douglas Avenue, on the site of the 
present Pennsylvania Hotel. 

The first bank opened in Wichita was by W. C. 
Woodman & Sons, in 1871, and subsequently became 
known as The Arkansas Valley Bank, but the first or- 



ganized bank in the City of Wichita was The Wichita 
Savings Bank, organized in 1872. In 1877, The Farmers 
and Merchants Bank was organized by Col. H. W. Lewis. 
This bank subsequently became what is now known as 
The Kansas National Bank. The old Empire or Tremont 
House, shown in these cuts, was erected on the corner of 
Third and Main Streets. The two story back part was 
built by William Greiffenstein prior to 1871. Subsequently 
in 1871 and 1872, the three story front was built by James 
G. Barnwell, through a contractor by the name of Fred 
Martsolf. This building was subsequently moved to the 
corner of Douglas and Emporia Avenues, and thereafter 
moved on South Emporia Avenue and later was torn 
down. 

The pastor of the Baptist Church, in January, 1873, 
was the Rev. J. C. Post of Fort Scott, Kansas. The first 
pastor of the Catholic Church, in January, 1873, was the 
Rev. F. P. Swenberg, formerly of Prairie City, Kansas. 
Rev. Swenberg was succeeded in 1874, by Rev. J. C. 
Shurz. The first Catholic Church was dedicated under 
the title of Saint Aloysius. 

St. John's Episcopal Church was organized in 1875. 
The First Christian Church of Wichita was organized in 
1880; the First Methodi-st Church in 1872. Of this last 
named church, the Rev. J. F. Nessley was the first pastor. 
The German Methodist Episcopal Church was organized 
in 1876. The First Baptist Church was organized in 1872. 
The first Masonic Lodge was organized October 19th, 
1871, the first Odd Fellows Lodge in 1872 and the Kights 
of Pythias on November 25, 1881. 



The Wichita Turnveiein was organized in 1871. This 
Society built the fiist theatre in Wichita, which was situ- 
ated on the corner of First and Market Streets and was 
called Turner Opera House. The Old Settlers Associa- 
tion was organized October 27th, 1877. The first Fair 
Association of Wichita business men was organized in 
April, 1873, with William Mathewson as president. This 
association had forty acres of land, near L. W. Clapp's 
residence, which was lost to them by the foreclosure of a 
Four Thousand Dollar mortgage and within three years 
the land sold for Eight Hundred Dollars an acre. The 
first brass band was organized in 1871. Fred Schattner, 
who was City Clerk for several years, was the first 
leader. 

In 188.3, a letter was written by a then very promi- 
nent citizen of Wichita, an excerpt from which is as 
follows: 

"The child and perhaps the man, now lives in Wichita, 
who will pass along its streets and listen to the hum of 
commerce in a city of Twenty Thousand people." 

The letter provoked a smile when written and it 
does now, when read. 

In detailing dry, historical facts, it is more than an 
art to be truthful, wound no one's feelings and at the 
same time, be interesting. 

Wichita in the early days was cosmopolitan; every 
shade, hue and color of society was here. There was but 
little distinction among the people and the gatherings in 
old Eagle Hall and the Turner Opera House, were at- 
tended by all Wichita. 



The Old Settlers Ball and Dinner on February 22nd 
of each year, was quite an event. Neither silks, nor 
dress suits were much in evidence and during the rage 
of the spelling schools old Eagle Hall, at the Boston 
Store corner, was the only room in town in which to 
house such meetings. The opening of Turner Hall Opera 
House was one of the greatest society functions that ever 
happened. When this building was built, Ten Thousand 
Dollars in bonds were issued, due in five years, and 
every man who took a Fifty Dollar bond got a free 
ticket for the first night's b'g show. These early days 
were the days of the one night stand on the coal-oil 
circuit, and occasionally, a week stand of Simon & Ken- 




Main Street From Second Looking Norlln 1869 



dall. Simon & Kendall always gave a dance on Saturday 
night after the week's show and furnished the music and 
on one occasion, after the play of Othello, in which Des- 
demona was strangled, she aiose from her death couch, 
with chalk all over her face, and led the grand march. 

In 1883, the first street cars weie put on the street, 
the cost of which road and equipment was Sixteen Thou- 
sand Dollars and they had three cars, two and one-half 
miles of track and twelve mules; the line ran West on 
Douglas Avenue to Ma'n Street, North on Main Street 
to Murdock Avenue; East on Murdock Avenue to the old 
Santa Fe Depot. Col. B. H. Campbsll offered a wager 
of One Hundred Dollars that the thing would bs in the 



hands of a receiver in six months. Two years after- 
wards. Col. Campbell bought a half interest and there- 
after this was sold for One Hundred Thousand Dollars. 

In 1887, the street car company got an electric fran- 
chise, and paid out Three Hundred Thousand Dollars. 
Then came that peculiar mile-stone in our history, called 
the Boom; that great epoch when paupers became mil- 
lionaires and subsequently the balloon collapsed and the 
millionaires became tramps. After this, the Three Hun- 
dred Thousand Dollar street car plant sold for 10'7c of its 
cost and fourteen years afterwards, the new company was 
paying Sixty-five Thousand Dollars annual taxes to the 
City of Wichita. 




»!5s*Jb^ j 




The first House in Wichita. Built in I 868. hy D. >. Mun^er. now Part of the 
Conklin Home. 90 1 N. Waco Avenue 

Hunger House 

Mr. D. S. Hunger in the spring of 1868 chose for the 
site of his house the high ground on the Little River 
close by the abandoned village of the Wichita Indians. 
The logs from which the house was built were cut and 
hewn on the island now occupied by the City water works, 
at that time covered by dense timber of Cottonwood, and 
being unsurveyed government property, was soon stripped 
of its timber, which was used by the early settlers. 

There were three rooms downstairs and four rooms 
above. For lath he used small willows which grew along 
the river, burned his own lime for the mortar and plaster, 



and used buffalo hair in the plaster. He made the 
shingles for the roof and hauled the window sashes, glass 
and flooring from Emporia. This house now stands on the 
same lot but has been moved a little west and faced south. 
The Munger house was purchased by W. C. Woodman, 
and converted into one of the finest residences of that 
day. D. S. Munger was likewise postmaster and carried 
the mail in his hat. He used to empty the mail pouches 
on a bad and sort 'em over, putting enough in his hat 
for immediate delivery. He would then place one knee 
on the prairie and look them over; if he met the owner 
of one he would often call out to Mollie when his memorv 
failed or a letter was floating around the house, or paper 
gone, if "she knew where Dan or Sam Hoover's or Doc. 
Fabrique's paper was?" Whatever the response he would 
look knowing, spit out some tobacco, readjust his cud, 
re-hat the mail, clinch it with his large red handkerchief, 
and lay plans for the future metropolis. 



The First Christmas in Wichita 

1870 

By FRED A. SOWERS 

It was a most gladsome occasion; the- dirt-roof 
church over which Reverend Hilton, who was of the Epis- 
copal persuasion, was the only place of worship so desig- 
nated, in Wichita; the ladies of the church had decorated 
it for the occasion, and a Christmas tree gaily decked with 



small lipfhted candles, and the interim branches of the 
tree loaded with candies and trinkets and rattlinfr with 
tinsel, was a feast for the few frontier boys and girls, 
and a moist-eyed reminder to the grown-up attendants 
produced similar scenes. 

Reverend Hilton preached a very appropriate sermon, 
after which the attendants marched to Morgan Cox's 
Store-room, where a bountiful repast was spread, con- 
sisting of buffalo meat prepared in various styles, prairie- 
chicken, quail-on-toast, venison, and chicken-pie, with 
cakes, pies, and custards, as viands; everybody mingled 
and freely exchanged thoughts, were happy and made 
th day truly Christmas 1 ke. 

Am somewhat reluctant to tell the modern aesthetics, 
that the next enjoyable feature of this dear-old-time 
Christmas day was when the tables and chairs were re- 
moved and Fred Schattnei's string band furnished music 
for the dance; then old "DUTCH HENRY" with his 
martial mien upon him started the dance in broken 
"Dutch" and stentorian voice, "Now, on mit de dance; let 
joy be confined, biz tomorrow morning." 




Wm. Malthewson Cabin Built in 1869 

Mathewson Cabin 

Built by Wm. Mathewson, the original Buffalo Bill, 
in 1869. After standing for a number of years — a lonely, 
deserted land mark — it was despoiled by relic hunters, 
many souvenirs being made of the wood, one of which was 
a fine violin. An Englishman employed in a planing mill 
on Wichita street, made souvenir bowls, canes, and salt 
boxes from the logs, and sent them to the British posses- 
sions, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. 






K<ins(is \,iti..iv-il P.cink 1914. N. W. Cor. Main and Dou'^las Ave. 



Northwest t-orner Douglas Avenue 'ind Main Street, looking- north ISTJl 

Main Street, 1873, Keno and N. Y. Comer 

(Contributed) 

The old New Yoil< corner, now the Schwe'ter corner, was the center 
of business and drew the loafers around it even as a barrel of molqsses 
draweth flies. It was the location of the Kohn Bros. Dry Goods Store. 

To the west of the New Yoik corner, where the Kansas National 
Bank now stands, were several saloons, a cigar house and a barb?r shop. 
Overhead was a keno room connected w^th other rooms where werp 
games of chance such as roulette, faro, gift enterprise, chuck-a-luck, 
poker, etc., etc. Over the side-walk of this building, reached from the 
second floor by a door and from the sidewalk bv a narrow stairway, was 
a balcony where, on the long summer nights, the band played and when 
the music died away there was a cheerful refrain that floated out upon 
the air and startled the night, the which, if I remember correctly, was 
about as follows: "24, 38, 56, 21, 19, 33, 11, 17, Keno." Usually these 
sounds were followed by language not permissible in good society and 
never heard in Sunday school or church. 




dent, cautious lines. Some of them were like the 
Methodist who boasted that he had belonged to the 
church for forty years and it had never cost him a 
cent. (Ireat was the rejoicing among the Douglas 
Avenue crowd when business firms and professional 
men fled from Main Street to Douglas .Avenue and 
it became the main trunk highway, all else being 
tributary. 



.Xortli .Main Strepl bi'tweiii I i.iiis:lris .\vi-nui' iinil Fir.«t Slir-.it 1S71 



Southern Hotel 



Where the Hub Clothing Store now stands, 114 North Main Street, 
the Southern Hotel, which burned one night in 1S7.5, was the first big 
fire of Wichita. A large lady ai)|ieared at the window and expressed 
a desire to be saved. Jim Steele, who weighed something over twenty 
stone, told her to jump and he her saviour would be. The offei' was 
immediately accepted, and in about three seconds, at least 600 i)ounds 
of humanity was rolling around in the alley as though it were a two- 
headed phenomenon. 

Firms occupying huiUliiigs north of the hotel were: Schattnei' & 
Short's Saloon, Mike ZimmerlyV Tin Shop, Hays Brothers Clothing Store. 
This block, in 1872, was the real business section of the city. There 
came a mighty strife between Douglas Avenue and Main Street. Mr. 
Greiffenstein gloried in the opening of the old toll bridge on the west 
end, to free ti'avel, and to the location of the Santa Fe depot at the 
east end. It is said that the North End could have vanquished Greif- 
fenstein in sixty days if it had loosened its purse strings, hut the men 
at the North End were "not built that way." They were built on pru- Northeast comer Douiilas and Main Street, looking north, 1914 





Southwest Corner Douglas Avenue and Main, 1873 

The above building was built by May Fechheimer, who was Kiven the 
lot by Greiffenstein; the old United States land office attorneys; D. B. 
Emmert, O. D. Kirk, J. F. Lauck, W. W. Thomas and Harris & Harris 
occupied the second floor; Trickey Bros., ran grocery until 1878; Stone of 
El Dorado, clothing, until December, 1880; Joe Rich, fancy groceries, until 
1884; then purchased by Kansas State Bank, (merged into State National 
Bank, which suspended in May, 1894); then purchased by National Bank 
of Commerce who built the present building. In 1874, the rear of the 
lot and the sidewalk on the east had buffalo-meat stacked on it (like cord- 
wood) which sold at five cents a pound. E.xcept Eagle Block, this was the 
first brick building on Douglas Avenue. Noah Hartle was the contractor 
on the mason work on the old and the new building. 




National Banl< of Commerce. 1914 




VV vvr VV 




Upper Toll bridge 1872. Lower-New Concrete Bridge I 908 



Arkansas River Bridge 

Records of the government survey June 28, 1867, 
speak of a ferry and ford across the river between First 
and Second Streets. The same survey locates the east 
banl< of the river wheie the Missouri Pacific depot is now 
located. In 1867 the liver was bank full all the season. 
Indians ferried their families across in tubs made of a 
single buffalo robe and swam their horses. Mule teams 
and heavy freight wagrons were often swept away by the 
swift current. With the water up to the swimming point 
and the bank crowded with spectators, a herd of Texas 
long-horns bellowing and splashing as they plunged 
through the current, urged by the strange call of the 
herders, made the fording an interesting scene. The first 
bridge which spanned the b'g Arkansas on Douglas 
Avenue was open for traffic June 12, 1872, and was a 
combination structure of wood and iron, with a toll house 
at each end. It was one thousand feet long with nine 
spans and a sixteen foot driveway, 
• costing $26,000. In 1876 it was 
sold to the county for .$6,000 and 
became a free bridge. The old ford 
was immediately south of the 
bridge. This bridge was replaced 
in 1877 by a steel bridge 800 feet 
long, having eight spans and a 
roadway 18 feet wide, costing 
$2r),(lOO. As the river bed nar- 
rowed, the banks were filled in and 
the bridge was shortened 300 feet 
— 200 on the east and 100 on the 
west end. The nresent bridge is a 
magnificent $100,000 structure of 
rPMifoi'ced concrete .550 feet long, 
with seven arched spans, forty-foot 
roadway and seven-foot walk on 
either side, illuminated by cluster 
electric lights. 




Diamond Front 

129-131 North Main Street 

A Landmark in 1876, Diamond 

Front Grocery, Erected by 

Mr. J. H. Black. 

ncacon /-'llfs. .Vol'. .V. /■'<7r>: 

"Mr. J. H. Black has a large 
number of diamonds on hand. 
They are not for sale but orna- 
ment the front of his grocery 
store. They are all brilliants 
of the first quality of redness." 

Beacon Files, May r>L />',V. 

A Primitive Advertisement. 

"What I know about groceries 
tells me to go to the Diamond 
Front, if I want to get good 
goods at the right prices." 



Bitting Corner 

A one-story building now on 
the northeast corner of Third 
and Main Streets was moved in 
1878 froin the northwest corner 
of Douglas Avenue and Market 
Street, where Bitting Brothers 
erected a two-story brick busi- 
ness house, which they occupied 
as a clothing store, later the 
first four-story building in 
Wichita took its place. This 
was destroyed by fire in 1911, 
and the present modern office 
building was erected in 1912. 




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wwmr I 

first Presbylerian Church 1914 





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C. S. Caldwell. W. B. Mead, 
Mrs. Catherine D. Russell. Miss Paltie Todd (Mrs. Geo. SlronJI. Mrs. W. B. Mead 



Presbyterian Church 

I'.v C. 5. CVLOWELL 

In October, 1869, W. K. Boggs, a Presbyterian minister, 
preached his first sermon in a dug out on North Waco 
Avenue, near where Finlay Ross now resides, and on the 
1.3th of March, 1870, a church was organized with thirteen 
members, none of whom reside here now. 

In the summer of 1870 the little band hauled green 
Cottonwood lumber from Emporia and erected a little frame 
chapel on the corner of Second and Wichita Streets, which 
they used for two years. 

Dr. Boggs remained in charge of the work until late 
in the Autumn of 1871, when he was succeeded by Rev. John 
P. Harsen, as its first regular pastor. In the fall of 1872 
this little chapel was sold to the Catholic Church and moved 
to the corner of St. ^'rancis and Second Streets, and usdd 
by them for chapel and school purposes for several years, 
when it was sold and moved to the sixth block on North 
Main Street, where it now stands. After selling their 
church, the Presbyterians rented old Eagle Hall, and services 
were held there until 1877, when a small brick edifice was 
completed and occupied at the corner of Lawrence Avenue 
and First Street. This building was their church home for 
thirty years. The present home is the fine building on the 
corner of Lawrence Avenue and Elm Street, costing .$160,000. 
In the early Seventies this church was noted for the music 
furnished by its well-trained and excellent choir, under the 
leadership of Mrs. Catherine D. Russell, soprano, Mrs. W. B. 
Mead, alto, C. S. Caldwell, tenor, W. B. Mead, bass, Miss 
Pattie Todd, Miss Mattie Eldridge and Mrs. Chas. Hatton, 
as organists serving at difl'erent times. Dr. Melrose Brodie 
is the present pastor for this large and wealthy membership. 




First School 



The first school in Wichita was held in the spring- of 
1871 in the Presbyterian Church, corner of Wichita and 
Third Streets, with Miss Jessie Hunter, now Mrs. James 
H. Black, teacher. The enrollment was 25 pupils. Mis. 
Black may congratulate herself in having so successfully 
started public instruct'on in Wichita as to require now 
two hundred teachers to conduct it properly. 

A two story school bu'lding was erected in the spring' 
of 1872 on the present site of the old High School build- 
ing. There was a short session of school that spring. 
Professor Snoven and Miss Lizzie Higday were the 
teachers. 

In the Fall of that year Mr. John Tucker, afterwards 
County Treasu'er, was superintendent, and his wife, Mrs. 
Tucker, Mrs. Helen L. Fees, now a resident of Wichita, 
and Miss Lizzie Higday, were the assistant teachers. 

In the spring of 1873 the first School Board was 
elected. Dr. A. H. Fabr-ique, T. M. Garrison, H. J. Hills, 



N. AlcClees, M. R. Moser and R. L. West composed the 
Board. R. L. West was President, W. E. Stanley, later 
Governor of the State of Kansas, was Secretar'y, and 
J. P. Harsen was Treasurer. The enrollment of pupils 
was four hundred and forty-nine. The enrollment of 
children of school age in the citv at the present time is 
12,600. 

Professor Ward was selected to succeed Mr. John 
Tucker and was Superintendent for the ensuing two years 
1873-74 and 75. His assistants were Mrs. Helen L. Fees, 
Miss Lizzie Foot, Miss Hattie J. Nichols, and Mrs. M. H. 
West. 

The first graduating exei-cises were held in Garfield 
Hall, corner' of Water and First Streets in 1879. Mem- 
bers of the class were Miss Clementina Davidson, May 
Throckmorton, Grace Pope and W. B. Throckmorton. 

The present High School building was erected in 1911. 




The First Church Building Erected in Wichita 1870 

Lpiscopal Church 

St. John's Church was organized by Rev. John Hilton, early 
in 1870. The first services we'e held in the Munger Hotel 
In that year at numbers -156 and 458 on North Maiket Street, 
donated by Wm. Greiffenstein, a rude chapel was constructed of 
cotton-wood logs, split and set in the ground after the fashion 
of a stockade, and covered with logs and earth. L-ght was 
admitted through two small apertures cut up high in the mud 
and secured by wooden shutters, and at night by tallow candles 
resting on boards nailed to the logs. The seats were rough 
boards resting on kegs and baxes. The roof waved in the 
summer with highly colored pi airie flowers and rattled in the 
winter time with the wind whistl'ng through naked sunflower 
stalks that grew there. 

In 1879 a new church was dedicated on the west side of 
Lawrence Avenue, between First and Second Streets. St. John's 
Episcopal Church has grown to a large and influential parish 
and now occupies a fine stone structure, erected in 1877, on the 
corner of Topeka Avenue and Third Street. Rev. Percy T. 
Fenn is the popular and efficient pastor. 




Upper- I 879 Lower— 1914 




First M. F. Church. liS72 

Methodist Lpiscopal Church 

In May, 1870, the Rev. W. H. Zellers, a theolopfical student, 
was appointed pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The 
first class was orfjanized in a little frame building on Main 
Street, with eight or ten members, among whom were Mr. and 
Mrs. J. P. Allen, Judge H. C. Sluss. Mr. C. C. Fees was the 
first class leader. Services were held for a time up stairs over 
a livery stable at the corner of Third and Main Streets, and in 
the winter of 1870 and 1871 in the afternoon, in the small 
Presbyterian Church building located at the corner of Second 
and Water Streets. Rev. J. F. Nessly was the first regular 
pastor appointed to the charge, taking up his work in the 




Firsl M.L. Church. 1914 



spring of 1872. During that summer the first 
church was built on the ground where the present 
edifice now stands. May 7, 1884, the building was 
burned, including the pastor's library and church 
records. On May LSth, 188.5, the present commodi- 
ous building was dedicated by Bishop W. X. Ninde. 
Hon. W. E. Stanley was the first Sunday School Su- 
perintendent, filling the position for nearly twenty- 
five years. Rev. T. R. McFadden is pastor at the 
lirosent time. 



Baptist Church 



The Baptist Church has the honor of holding the first religious 
services in Wichita. The sermon was preached at Durfee's Ranch on 
the first town site, in 1868, by Rev. Mr. Saxby, a Baptist minister. 
They did not secure the organization of a working church, however, 
until some time in the spring of 1872. A Baptist layman, by name 
Sturgis, organized a Union Sunday School in the summer of 1871, and 
conducted it successfully until the spring of 1872, when Rev. John C. 
Post came and took charge of the work, organized a church and became 
its first pastor. 

In 1873 they built a small brick church home on the corner of 
Market and First Streets, which was later enlarged as the congregation 
grew, finally compelling them to erect the beaut'ful edifice on the corner 
of Lawrence Avenue and Second Street, costing 
about .$75,000. The present pastor is Rev. G. W. 
Cassidy, who has filled the pulpit for fourteen years. 

These four pioneer pastors, all of them by the 
name of John, builded greater than they knew, laid 
foundations b'oad and deep. Others have entered 
upon their labors, have built and are continuing to 
build what will be monuments to them and to the 
faithful few who stood with them in these days of 
ti'ial and of small beginnings. 

The growth of the Church industry in Wichita 
is typical of Kansas. The forty-four years which 
have passed since the little low structure was 
erected, have seen many wonderful strides in church 
building. Within a block from the site of the dirt 
thatched structure, which did not cost a cent, has 
recently been completed a magnificent new church 
building. It is of solid stone; built with a view of 
beauty, comfort and durability, and it cost thousands 
of dollars, but represents no more of earnestness and 
devotion than inspired the erection of the cotton- 
wood slab structui'e which housed the most unique 
congregation ever assembled in Wichita. 




The Wichita Grain 
Market 

By Ptirmer Doolitllo 

Wichita in the seventies 
and early eighties was said to 
be the greatest inland wheat 
market in the world. At that 
time the Santa Fe road had 
been extended from Newton 
here, and this was the wheat 
market for all the New- 
Southwest. 

Most of the wheat mar- 
keted here at that time was 
raised in Sedgwick, Butler, 
Cowley, Sumner, Harper and 
Kingman counties. The farm- 
ers delivered their wheat in 
wagons and many that came 
a long distance required three 
days to make the round trip. 

Many of the farmers 
brought their frying pans and 
bed clothes and 
cooked and slept 
prairies. Wichita in 
large "feed stables, 



camped, 

on the 
those early days had several 

and some were established 
along the trails leading to this place. Out in the 
country the same kind of stables were called 
"Ranches." , 




The Wichita City Mi 
built in 1874, was located >ti 
F"ourtti Avenue and NA-hat wa^ 
at that time the east end o 
Douglas Avenue It v/as built 
by Shellabarger, Imboden and 
Hargis. and was the largest 
in Southern Kansas 




Farmer Dooliltle 



The feed stable, or ranch, 
consisted of a large stable 
made of rough boards in 
which the farmer or 
freighter could put his 
horses and get hay for 
them for 25c. The best 
ranches had a box stall in 
which was a cook stove. 
On this stove the farmer or 
freighter could cook his 
"grub" and sleep wheiever he could find a place 
to put his bed. A very few of these ranches had 
in connection, what in these modern times would 
be called a joint. There was not very much de- 
mand for "corn juice" among the men who 
brought the wheat to market or managed the big 
freight teams. 

There are a few old settlers still here who 
can remember the appearance of Douglas avenue 
in the days of Wichita's big wheat trade. It was 
not an uncommon thing to see teams lined for n 
distance of two or three blocks at the different 
elevators waiting for their turn to weigh and 
dunp their wheat. 

The average grain dealer is a red blooded 
individual who is more of a benefactor to the 
farmer than a selfish expert business man. Very 
few of them ever became verv rich. Even in the 



early days of Wichita when the grain men shipped 
wheat by the train loads and there seemed to be 
a golden opportunity to make money, very few 
of these big operators ever made more than a 
small amount of money in the business. 

When James G. Hope was elected mayor of 
Wichita, the battle cry of his followers was, "Vote 
for Hope and the cattle trade." He made a 
pretty good mayor in spite of the fact that his 
opponents charged that he kept the mayor's of- 
fice in a saloon. The cattle trade gave Wichita 
its first boost, and it was followed by the big 
wheat trade. 

While Wichita in the early days was the great 
central grain market of the Southwest, it is to- 
day the central market for the Kansas hard 
wheat belt. 

Millers of southern Kansas, western Okla- 
homa and Texas look to this city for their extra 
supply of milling wheat. The reliable market 
returns furnished to the Wichita Board of Trade 
by the Orthwein-Matchette Co. are just as re- 
liable as those furnished on the boards of trade 
at Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Minneapolis 
and Winnipeg. Grain dealers and millers rely 
upon thes reports. The fifty members of the 
Wichita Board of Trade are all grain dealers or 
millers. This makes this a millers' market. It 
is not a speculative market, but all sales are for 
grain which, after being inspected, is sold on 
.samples taken from the cars by a state inspector. 



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^«<t^TMfa^w£^^i<i^-.ff»^g»Vj:^/^y f mm 



Plant of The Kansas Milling Co., one of Wichita's modern flour mills, showing some of their im- 
mense storage capacity of 750,000 bushels of wheat. Daily output, KiOO barrels of flour. 




Douglas Avenue Hotel 

The Douglas Avenue Hotel was the heaviest indi- 
vidual enterprise that had been undertaken in Wichita 
previous to 1872. It was built by Mr. Greiffenstein and 
opened by Messrs. Blood and Cox with no bar in the 
house. It was a popular place for holding social gather- 
ings and society meetings, also headquarters for the 
Tisdale stage line. Mickie Jim (no other name known) 
was the favoiite stage driver and Little Brownie the local 
agent. The coach was a heavy covered affair, drawn by 
4. ofttimes 6, slender, quick-footed horses. It was a de- 
light to see Mickie throw the long plaited lash of the 
whip and touch any one of them on any spot his eye had 
chosen. He was full of reminiscences, making a day's 
ride on the box with him an event in one's life. 



Empire House 



The old Empire House, later the Tremont House, was 
the favorite hostelry from 1871 to 1874. Here amid 
tragedies, tears and smiles, heart aches and wedding bells, 
the stars looked down upon feast and dance and revelry 
on every hand. All these are blended and mingled in the 
mad whirl surrounding it when called the Empire. It was 
purchased by A. N. Deming in 1876 and moved to the 
northeast corner of Emporia and Douglas Avenue, the 
name being changed to Tremont. In 1877 Mr. Deming 
opened it as a first class hotel. In 1887 it was again on 
its way "going South" and landed on South Fourth 
Avenue, where it was re-opened as a No. 1 house. Later 
it was torn down because of age and decrepitude. 









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Lagle Block 




This plain, two story, soft stone bu'ld'nj;-, at one time was the most 
multifariously used building, not only in Wichita, but of any in Kansas. 

From 1873 to 1875, it contained the United States Post Office and 
a book store; dry-goods, clothing, notions, groceries and queensware; 
The Wichita Savings bank, school board treasurer, Presbyterian iiastor's 
study on the ground floor; on the second floor was the Eagle office. 

County Clerk, Probate Judge, County Treasurer, County Superintendent of Schools, Clerk of the Disti'ict Court, Sheriff's 
Office and County Jail; also, the District Court Room. This room was fifty by one hundred feet, but was used for 
public speaking of all kinds, Presbyterian Church, Convention Hall, Masonic Banquet room. Church revivals, theater, 
dancing hall, spelling schools and also for the general "reception hall,' when some really big, powerful individual vis- 
ited the city. 

As the generations pass, Wichita may spread as a banyan tree and shelter countless thousands; may weight the 
earth with fire-proof tall houses, until the present Wichita, in comparison, will be as the early town, shown in the cuts 
in this booklet, is compared to the present Wichita; may erect large buildings, devoted to art, litei-ature, science and 
education, exposition halls or great auditoriums, but, when it is all done, all of it w'U not sat'sfy the public demands 
any more than old Eagle Hall, nor bring together for amusement or pleasure, or the advancement of the public interest 
or benevolences and charity, a more prosperous, contented, happy, earnest and ambitious people than those who lived in 
Wichita when Eagle Hall was the one great building of the City and the "Bee-hive" of the town. 




Crawford Theatre 1914 



Turner Hail 



Princess Theatre 1914 



This building', situated on the corner of First and 
Market Streets, was built by the German Turnverein of 
Wichita to keep al've and in memory the Fatherland, 
perpetuate German customs and bind tog'ether as one 
body the German Americans of Wichita, to form friend- 
ships and promote their general good. 

For many years, it was the great amusement place of 
Wichita and the great gathering place for large meetings 
and during its day, actors of National note, as well as 
great singers appeared upon its stage. Grand balls were 
given there and local people also played as actors in it. 
Among the great plays given by local talent was The 
Union Spy and The American Cousin. The Union Spy 
was a patriotic play. Judge Walker, one of the soldiers. 



was to be killed in one scene and be found by his weeping- 
family, as he lay dead. Amongst the members of this 
family were Mrs. S. S. King and Mrs. Harry Kramer. 
John Fisher and Hank Heiserman concluded that it would 
make a nice variance in the scene, so they got about a 
pound of limberger cheese and as the dead soldier lay, 
they put cheese around in his clothing and when his 
weeping family appeared and knelt down over the dead 
body, the aroma from the dead body was such that it 
was apparent that decomposition had set in. (It almost 
broke up the play on account of the disgust of the ladies 
at the horrible smell.) It was' voted at the time that 
the body in place of being killed at the time the weeping 
family found it, that it must have lain there many days 
under the hot sun, until it became putrid. 



Railroads 




By 0. H. BEXTLKY. 
Two possessions are necessaiy for a western town: First and foremost 
it must have the county seat, and second, it must have ample railway facilities. 
Both of these qualifications were produced by the rustling men who made and 
l)uilt Wichita. The early fathers of Wichita, seeing the blue stem grass 
sweeping the saddle horns of the cowboys as they rode the trail in and out 
of Wichita, realized that they must have a railroad, and would have given 
half the town to the railway company to get them in. 

When Wichita was yet a spi-addling village, scattered over the virgin 
prairie, the building of the Santa Ve. the pioneei- railroad, into Wichita, made 
it almost in a day the greatest primary wheat market in the woi'ld and later 
the renowned cattle shipping point. There was great rejoicing among the 
resident.^ on that memorable occasion in May, 1872, when the first train steamed 
into the station, carrying forty-four passengers. The Wichita & Southwestern 
Railway Company was organized in ISVl with J. R. Mead, President; C. F. 
Gilbert, Vice President; H. C. Sluss, Secretarv, and 
William Matthewson, Treasurer. Capital, .$.500,000. 
The contract called for the construction of twenty- 
eight miles of track from Newton to Wichita. 
Although it was nearly a year in building, many 
of the ties were laid upon the prairie sod antl the 
rails s])iked to them. 

The oldest Santa Fe time card for Wichita, in 
e.xistence, was issued in 1882. This showed one 
passenger and one freight train each way daily. 
Now the Santa Fe operates sixteen passenger trains 
and fourteen freight trains into and through Wichita 
every day. The first shipment of freight out of 
Wichita was thirteen car loads of cattle. The accom- 
panying cut shows the north half of the first station. 
The original depot of the Santa Fe stood just north 
of Douglas Avenue, opposite the Union Station. 



First Library Association 



Home of the First Public 
L ibrarv 



The Wichita Library Associa- 
tion was organized with W. P. 
Campbell, President; Ben 
Aldrich, Vice President; Rev. 
J. P. Harsen, Treasurer; and 
Fred Schattner, Secretary. 
Judge Atwood, Dr. Fabrique 
and M. W. Levy were appointed 
a committee to draft By-Laws. 
They were supported by an 
Auxiliary of ladies with Mrs. 
Nerius Baldwin, President; Mrs. 
H. L. Taylor, Vice President; 
Mrs. Russell, Secretary; Mrs. J. 
H. Dagner, Treasurer. Miss 
Delia Baldwin was the first 
Librarian. The Library was 
located at 108 East Douglas in parlors of the Baldwin Art 
(Jallery. The inembership fee was three dollars. Twelve 
hundred dollars was raised by subscription, to purchase 
the Baldwin home on North Market street, but for some 
unknown reason this was not done, and the funds were 
used for purchasing books and furnishings. Four hundred 
dollars was expended on the first order of books. They 
were well read and well cared for. 

This Association proved to be of public benefit in the 
way of instigating public meetings in its rooms and enter- 
prises of a civic nature. It experienced the same diff^icul- 
ties which other institutions encountered in the early days 
when funds were limited. Members of the Auxiliary, with 
the assistance of other ladies, assisted by Mrs. Catherine 
Russell, gave enteitainments of various kinds for the 
benefit of the Library. It was moved to the Board of 
Education rooms in the Eagle Block and from there to 
the Sedgwick Block where it passed under the care of the 




Ctirileyie Llbrdrv LJuildlllv; 1 'J I 4 

Board of Education. The Secretary of the Board, acting 
as Librarian, continuing in that capacity until the patron- 
age of the Library demanded 
the entire time of such an 
oft'icial, when one was elected 
by the Board. Within a short 
time it will be moved to its 
permanent quarters in the 
new Carnegie Library Build- 
ing. 

The accompanying group 
represents a scene in the first 
library rooms when books 
were being covered. 

Miss Anna Pope. Mr. Tense Mas- 
sev and Miss Delia Baldwin 





FIRL DLPARTMLNT 



Many members of the Frontier Fire Company who 
volunteered to inscribe their names below the simple oath, 
had theii- all at stake in this frontier city of the plains. 
In those days to think was to act — and that at once and 



in the quickest way. The funds to purchase the first truck 
were raised by popular subscription, and the fire alarm 
bell was purchased and paid for by members of the com- 
pany. 




stock Yards 

The first Stock Yards were completed June 7th, 1872, — 2500 head or 125 car loads. A 600 foot driveway was 

corner of Kellogg and Santa Fe. They were the most attached to the yard as also a twelve acre pen to hold 

convenient of any in the State. Five runways and chutes cattle over night. 



Music in the Seventies 



By C. S. CALDWELL 



The music of the early days of Wichita, like fiontiei- 
towns generally, was in accord with the prevailing- social 
conditions. In 1870 and for the following three or four 
years, the cattle trade was attracted to this point follow- 
ing the old time cattle trail. Cowboys and fre'ghters 
were constantly in evidence. The clinking of the spurs 
on the sidewalk with the wheezey violin in the various; 
(^ance halls of the city, afforded 
the only reTef from the hum- 
drum of a little frontier town. 

Very soon churches were 
organized and choirs picked up 
as best they could. 

But it was not long until 
families coming in from the 
East, brought their p'anos and 
organs and it was not long un- 
til music of a better class was 
heard from the modest cottages 
along our streets. 

In the summer of 1872 the 
first brass band was organized 
I'nder the leadership of Fred 
Schattner, many of its mem- 
bers still liv'ng in the city. 
.\bout this time Mrs. Catherine 
Russell, an accomplished mu- 
sician and teacher, located in 
the city and began teaching and 
building up the musical tastes 
of the people and met with as- 
sistancp and encouragement 
from friends who had received 
some musical culture in the East. 



Several church choirs were organized about this time 
and joined in rendering many of the lighter Cantatas and 
in popular Concerts. Among them we recall: Queen 
Esther; Doctor of Alcantara; Pinafore; Belshazzar's 
Feast, by Butterfield, and many others. 

These entertainments were very popular and did 
much to elevate the musical taste of the Citv. 




Lett to Risht— H. A. Bliss. Miss Flora Redfieltl. Wm. Innes. Miss Pallie Todd. Mrs. Catherine Russell 



Lotus Club 



The Lotus Club, organized in 1878, was the first club 
of a social nature to occupy exclusive club quarters. 
Russell Hall, which was named after Mrs. Catherine 
Russell, over 151 and 153 North Main Street, was secured 
by ths members of this club. The club apartment con- 
sisted of the main hall where the dances were held and a 
stKge where dramatical and liteiary entei tainments were 
given by the members. Elegantly furnished parlors, 
cloak rooms, a billiard hall and a banquet room adjoined 
the main hall. Prof. Fero taught many men who are 
now professional and business men of Wichita, with their 
sweethearts, who are now their wives, the latest dance. 
Although the music might not compare to the fine 
orchestras today, yet the dancers in the Lotus Club found 
nothing more to be desired than the piano music furnished 
by Miss Mamie Manuel. There was enough talent in the 
club to rival any of the periodical traveling troupes. 
Many can recall as stais Miss Anna Lynch, now Mrs. 
Chas. Smythe, Miss Anna Burr, Mrs. Fred Waller, and 
Mrs. Harry Kramer. Here Mr. Dave Dale made his 
initial appearance before the footlights in Wichita in this 
hall, and proved himself to be familiar with the boards. 
A few of the attractions were the "Hungry Army ' with 
Col. H. W. Lewis in the lead as Captain. H. L. Pierce, 
C. W. Bitting, Geo. Strong and Wm. Innes, members of 
the chorus. The minstrel troupe with W. S. Corbett as 
interlocutor and H. L. Pierce and George Berkman as end 
men; also Mr. Kos Harris' renditions of choice poems. 
Along with their pleasure seeking, the Lotus Club did not 



f 01 get those less foitunate. A committee was named for 
charity work, of which Mr. Chas. Bitting was chairman. 
Records now in existence show that seventeen families 
were cared for by the club during one winter. Mrs. 
Catherine Russell, whose unselfish nature led her to con- 
tribute her rare musical tahnts so generously for Wich- 
ita's good, superintended special entertainments to raise 
funds for the club's chaiity work. 




W^m. Iiinfs. President; A. W Bitting Vice Piesident, W. T. 
Woodman, Trtasurer: Chas. H. .Smjth, Financial Secretary; 
F. W. M'allei-, .Jr.. Kecording; Secretary; David Ross. M. J. 
Oliver, David Hays, H. L. Pierce. Directors, 



Mrs. L. 5. Carter 




Wichita has always felt 
the right to eulogize the 
splendid mothers and daugh- 
ters in her midst. The num- 
ber is legion, yet all of 
Wichita's citizens recognize 
that where England had its 
grand old man in William E. 
Gladstone, that Wichita has 
its grand old woman in Mrs. 
L. S. Carter, and we do not 
want anyone to emphasize 
"old" either, as she is the 
youngest woman of her age 
of record. She was born July 11th, 1828, at Enos- 
burgh, Vennont, and married to Dr. Carter in Nashua, 
New Hamp.'--hire. She is the mother of two sons, 
George and Edward, both deceased, and she was a good 
mother, too. 

She located in Wichita in 1880 and in 1885 she started 
in her career of selling books. Her first experience along 
that line was in Winfield where a minister told her she 
need not attempt to sell books, as there were twelve book 
agents there the week before and none of them had been 
successful. However, she remained until she had sold two 
hundred and fifty books in Winfield. After this she re- 
mained permanently in Wichita where she handled various 
lines of books, but in 1904 she took the agency for Wich- 



ita of the Ladies Home Journal and Saturday Evening 
Post, and she now has the largest subscription list of any 
woman representative of these periodicals in the world. 
She has been successful in winning some very valuable 
prizes, among them a $1000 prize offered by Everybody's 
Magazine for the largest subscription in a limited length 
of time. She gave this entire amount to the Children's 
Home of Wichita. She won a prize of $250 from the 
Wichita Beacon, and this she gave to the Children's Home 
of Wichita. To Fairmount College, she gave a $16,000 
library, and she furnished the rooms in which these books 
aie kept with steel bookcases and the finest of wood fur- 
i;iture. She has placed several drinking fountains 
throughout the city for man and beast, and at the present 
time she is helping very materially in building up a 
library for the Young Women's Christian Association. 
And another one of her "fads" is to build a home for 
elderly women. All she does along charitable lines is 
from funds that she herself earns. A friend recently left 
her some money and she took this amount, and built a 
parsonage for the Unitarian Church in this city. 

Mrs. Carter is a Charter member and the oldest 
member of the Eunice Sterling Chapter of the Daughters 
of the American Revolution. 

To attempt mentioning all her good acts would be 
most hopeless, and our readers will have to accept this 
short argument in proof of our justification for terming 
her "Wichita's grand old woman." 

Mrs. Sam F. Woolard. 



The First "Fourth" in Wichita 



By Fred A. 

The glorious Fourth of 1870, was a most memorable 
occasion — wild and native, besides genuinely frontier. 
The town of Wichita consisted of about 100 houses con- 
structed in as many different shapes and styles, native 
Cottonwood predominating as to material; the most pre- 
tentious house was that of Doc. Lewellen, located on the 
corner of Walnut Street and North Main Street. It was 
a general store. John Ward, a discharged U. S. soldier, 
was his son-in-law and clerk. Then scattered from the 
Lewellen store on down to Pine St. were Cook's boarding- 
house, Jno. Martin's restaurant, the Bismark Saloon, Aid- 
rich and Dickey's drug store with the post office in it, then 
Henry Bolte's furniture store, Morgan Cox's store room, 
etc., etc., down to Douglas Avenue, then "The Cattle 
Ti-ail." The interim filled with four or five store rooms, 
black-smith shop, gun-shop, a harness-shop, saloons, etc. 

The parade of this memorable Fourth started down 
close to Douglas, and was composed of a variety of char- 
acters, Americans, Mexicans, and Indians. The grounds 
selected were what was afterward called Shuman's Park. 
It is now the south entrance to the Riverside Park from 
Central Avenue. Here the enthusiasts had constructed 
long tables of boards and with board-seats, and white 
muslin table-cloths, which were loaded with all the best 
the then hamlet could afford. The "spread," as it was 
then called, was regal as compared with some of our more 
modern banquets. Jellies and jams from home pantries, 
cakes and pies made by the frugal and experienced 
frontier ladies; but Oh! the meats of that occasion. They 
linger longest because only a memory remains. They 



Sowers 

consisted of wild turkey done to a turn, and plenty of 
them, killed in the neighborhood, buffalo hunks, buffalo 
tongues, venison, cooked in the way the frontier ladies, 
alone, knew how to do it; enough to feed a small army, 
against which the procession forming on Main Street, 
preceded by a clarinet and bass-drum, the former played 
by "Dutch Jake," the latter by George DeMoore, marched 
with eyes all horizontal under command of D. H. Munger, 
tt' the picnic grounds, where coffee and cussing wore out 
the day. A notable feature of the banqueters was that 
every fellow had a couple of six-shooters strapped around 
his waist, and many with the addition of a bowie-knife 
clinging to a scabbard at his side. The speeches con- 
sisted of a bewildering recital of the manner and inci- 
dents befalling those who pulled out in all kinds of ve- 
hicles and all kinds of weather to reach this Mecca of 
the far west, at that time. 

So unexpectedly, the first Fourth of July celebration 
at Wichita, w&s an orderly and well-bshaved conglomera- 
tion of all classes, mingling in unrestrained native free- 
dom, free from the arbitrary rules of modern society, and 
fully up in cheer to any requirement. So the day went 
by when everybody was full and happy; the drum and 
clarinet were again brought in position, the procession 
reformed and "Yankee Doodle" was sent forth frantically 
amid the popping of revolvers and the mingled song of 
"Old John Brown's Body," all of which seemed to fully 
satisfy as well as eke out the first Fourth of July cele- 
bration held in Wichita. 



A Sketch of the Seamy Side of Larly Wichita 

By L. B. JLWLTT 



The Daughters of The American Revolution having- 
requested some incidents connected with the early settle- 
ment of the City of Wichita for publication in this 
booklet, it was suggested that I write a brief story of the 
tragedy of that time of which I had knowledge. This 
is my excuse for writ'ng at ?11 and the reason for the 
subject, and I shall only tell about one. 

My knowledge of the dramatic side — some times 
tragedy — is the result, mainly, of official positions which 
I held at that time. Perhaps in some instances from 
the fact that I was an innocent bystander. At the solici- 
tation of friends I had consented to be a candidate for 
the office of Justice of the Peace. This is a very ancient 
office, but still in active use. I was also Police Judge 
during the last year of my term as Justice of the Peace, 
having run for that office while holding the first. Iv 
required a lot of nerve to pull off that kind of a stunt, 
to hold two elective offices at the same time, but nerve 
at that time was frequently the only asset a man had. 

Now it is a great thing to be around at the barning 
of a town, especially of one which, from its very start, 
gave promise of making a city, and as I sit here tonight 
thrumming the keyboard of my old typewriter a film, as 
if I were down at a Niekelodeum, picturing incidents and 
characters resulting from the horning of Wichita at- 
tracted, the latter, by the garish banner which floated 
from all her outer prec'ncts, passes by and I see Rowdy 
Joe, Red, Old Rain in the Face, Hun-icane Bill, Curley Mar- 



shall, Johnny Redden, Mike Meagher, City Marshal; Wyat 
Earp, police officer, of later day fame as referee in 
Pacific coast prize fights; The Red Rose of Texas, Butcher 
Knife Ann, and many lesser lights who played their 
parts well in the drama of that time, with the first named 
who were stars of the first magnitude, and whose appear- 
ance in the police court in the little p'ay entitled "Ten 
and Cost" was not infrequent. The "First Four Hun- 
dred" of Wichita gave a "Ball" (smile if you will, "Beau 
Mode" of North Lawrence, College Hill, Riverside, Coun- 
try Club). We, of that time, had our fashionable world 
while yet the sunflower, the lilly of the valley, made its 
annual appearance from the sod roofs of the sod house, 
and we waltzed with as much grace as you now tango — I 
can see but little difference between the two performances. 

This ball was given in old Eagle hall named after the 
Wichita Eagle. About twelve o'clock I left the Hall for 
some refreshments, intending to go to a rest parlor lo- 
cated at that time where Ed. Vail and Co's jewelry palace 
is now located. As I went down the main stairway of 
the hall I heard shooting as if it was at the rear or in 
the alley north of the refreshment parlors. I paid but 
little attention to it. It was not infrequent during the 
nights of that time, and generally was the bluff of some 
galoot or the parting salute of some cowboy shooting at 
or towards the stais as he left town on his lonely ride 
tc the cow camp. 



As I reached the side walk I saw on the dimly lighted 
street a man running; towards Tom Jewell's place, located 
in the vicinity of the building now owned by Mrs. Roland 
Murdock. Having crossed the Avenue and started North 
on the East side of Main Street, I met the City Marshal 
just about where the main entrance is to the Schweiter 
building. He asked me if I had seen any one crossing 
Douglas Avenue; I told him that I had. He requested 
that I go with him, and show him in which direction the 
man had gone. I did and just as we were turning the 
corner going east on the north side of the Avenue, about 
where the barber shop now is in the Schweiter building, 
in front or nearly so of a drug store owned by a gentle- 
man by the name of Charles Hill, we ran into a man. As 
a matter of fact I did not see him, as I was looking and 
pointing to the south side of the street, until I heard a 
pistol shot and saw him falling to the walk and heard 
him say, "Why did you shoot me." The streets seemed 
to be deserted, but in a few moments, however, men came 
running over from the ball room. Somehow or other 
the news had been carried upstairs that a man had been 



killed downstairs. The victim wes earned into the drug 
store. Very soon the old mother of the Marshal and his 
sister arrived, grieving that the son and brother had 
killed a man. No finer old Irish woman ever lived. She 
threw her arms around her son and prayed that the 
^■irgin Mary, the Holy Mother, would intercede for him. 
It was a scsne in "The Drama of Building a New Town" 
that was realistic ard made an impression on some of 
those present, the coloring of which does not seem to 
fade. 

The Marshal sui-rendei'ed himself to an officer of the 
law, had a preliminary examination before Justice 
Mitchell, who found that the homicide was "justifiable.'" 
This man's name was Sill Powell. He had been in the 
army and was a stage diiver at that time, and early in 
the evening he had shot at the Marshal and threatened 
to kill him. The next day or day after, the body was 
placed in a casket, which was put into a spring wagon. 
The cortege wss an omnibus loaded with his friends, in- 
cluding myself, and Sill was laid to rest with others out 
on the hill, who had died with their boots on. 



5ome Kansas Pioneer Stories 



MRS. MURICL 5HALFFLR FINN 



To my mind there is no more fascinating story than 
that of the pioneer when told by himself; for the telling- 
of such a tale involves all the delightful variations of 
romance, description, tragedy, pathos and humor. Many 
such have I heard and 1 wish I might pass them on to 
you without the loss of charm that repetition necessarily 
causes. 

There is an interesting tale told by a charming little 
lady, Old England born, New England bred, who in 
the late sixties journied by wagon from Southern 
Illinois to Kansas. She and her husband with their 
three year old boy (now a lawyer in Wichita) had 
gone to Il'inois to visit a sister, only to find them 
just started for Kansas. Purchasing a covered wagon 
and mule team they joined them. The trip proved 
much harder than had been thought possible. By 
the time they reached Kansas the season was wet, ex- 
posure unavoidable, the sister's baby sickened and died. 
No casket was to be purchased, but in the nearest town 
(which proved to be Eureka) they found lumber with 
which to fashion one. As they were about to return to 
their wagons they were delayed by some of the citizens 
who invited them "to wait and see the hanging"; for they 
had that day captured a horse-thief and, they explained, 
it would cost the county so much to take him to the jail 
— which was quite a distance away — and to pay for his 
meals till they could arrange a trial that they were just 
going to string him up and save that expense! After 
they had traveled a little farther the men set out to find 
the valley of the Little Arkansas, leaving the women 
boarding in El Dorado. Our story-teller found herself 
housed with very nice people and generou.s. But so hard 
were the times that they were often hungry and really 
felt it a serious matter if any extras had to be enter- 



tained. Once when a dog found and ate the newly made 
butter, which had been placed near a spring, she said she 
cried like a child. The men faring Westward, came in 
August, 1869, to a settlement of six or eight log houses, 
where the men of the community all seemed occupied in 
constructing another. They obligingly unhitched their 
mules and spent the day helping haul the logs that 
formed the first building in Wichita made expressly for 
a church. 

Mr. Chas. Schaefer, who was in Kansas in the sixties 
as Quartermaster for the U. S. arm- tells a story in 
which it seems as though Providence itself were playing 
a part. He was camping one night with his wife and a 
companion in a beautiful place near Sylvan Grove on the 
Saline river. The spot was called Twin Groves from two 
strikingly similar oak groves, and had been selected for 
camping because the situation, beautiful as the eye could 
wish with its rising ground on one side of the stream and 
its clear sparkling water, offered peculiar advantages for 
making camp. Here in the still of the night he was sud- 
denly awakened to see peering over the wagon at him the 
eyes of two red devils (as he terms the Indians). Ever 
on guard against such dangers he had been sleeping with 
either hand on a pistol. The ready gun.s were quickly lev- 
eled, the fingers just ready to pull the triggers, when lo! — 
there was nothing there. Getting out of the wagon he 
sought in vain for any intruder, or even trace of one. 
Convincing himself that the apparition must have been 
merely a dream, he regained his self composure and was 
soon asleep. Again he was suddenly awakened to find the 
four eyes peering steadily at him, again the guns were 
quickly leveled and again just as the fingers would have 
pulled the triggers — nothing was there. This time much 
impressed he roused the others, broke camp and proceeded 



into town before daylight. There in the morning- came 
reports of an Indian raid. Mr. SchaefTer was put in 
charge of a band of scout.s to go out and find the maraud- 
ers. Passing the scene of his hastily abandoned camp he 
found that during his short absence it had been entirely 
overrun by Indians as evidenced by the many moccasin 
prints up from the stream and through the place. 

In the fall of sixty-nine my Father, William Finn, 
then scarcely more than a boy, left Rockford, Illinois, foi 
Kansas. In Kansas City an old army comrade gave him 
glowing hunter's reports of the Arkansas Valley. He 
determined to seek it. The trains at that time ran only 
as far as Burlingame. From there stage took him to 
Emporia. After some delay and trouble he found an 
old gentleman with a very ancient team and wagon who 
lived in El Dorado and was going to drive there as soon 
as he could load up. He would not let my father ride 
with him as the horse was not able to take an extra 
passenger, but he said he might walk along and camp 
with him. Another young man who wanted to find the 
way to El Dorado fell in with the same plan. That young 
man was W. P. Campbell, once judge of our district court. 
Later on account of h's fierce onslaughts on Wichita joints 
he brought upon himself the title of Tiger Bill. 

From El Dorado my father set out on foot and alone 
to find the Valley of the Arkansas. The distance seemed 
interminable, and he was getting pretty well discouraged 
when, coming up on the hill now called Fairmount, the 
valley suddenly lay before him in all its beauty. It ap- 
pealed to him as the loveliest sight he had ever seen; 
brown waving grass as far ag he could see on every side, 
the only break three broad lines of green where the Little 
Arkansas and Chisholm flowed into the Big Arkansas; 
for at that time the only trees were those that grew on 
the river banks. As he descended into the valley the 
grass, higher than his head, entirely shut out any view 
of the country, but he followed the trail till he came to 
that little settlement of seven or eight log houses which 



was the nucleus of our present city. The street, on either 
side of which the log houses stood, was not where the 
present Main Street is, but about the part of Waco that 
is north of Central. 

That first night when my Father went into the Post 
Off'ice a typical ten cent novel bandit with flowing black 
moustache, knotted neckerchief, gun carrying belt and 
general air of desperado, was playing cards just inside 
the door with three other men, six-shooters on the table 
by them. This striking looking character was the Portu- 
guese Cordero, whose name some of you may remember. 
He was accused of killing a man in front of the saloon. 
A lawyer named English cleared him and for fee received 
Cordero's quarter section, which is now included in that 
part of Wichita known as the English Addition. 

Just north of the settlement was a dugout where the 
U. S. Troops were quartered in the winter of sixty-eight, 
and which some claim was the first building on the present 
site of Wichita. In this dugout a subsci-iption school was 
started in the winter of sixty-nine. My father taught 
this school, sending to Topeka for the books and supplies. 
There was an average attendance of seventeen, a term of 
four months. In some cases from lack of means, in others 
from lack of conscience, books and salary were only paid 
for in part with the result that spring found the teacher 
fifty dollars in debt. Then he abandoned teaching to take 
up the study of surveying and to make in 1870 the first 
plat of the city of V/ichita. This plat laid the Main street 
where it is now. but only as far as Douglas Avenue as it 
was supposed all the city would build north of that. From 
this start in surveying he began locating settlers all around 
the country. Even as far west as Great Bend. Often 
have I heard him tell of locating a young man and his 
father on two adjoining farms seven or eight miles west 
of Sedgwick. Weeks after, driving that way, he saw a 
lonely figure standing on top of a sod house eagerly scan- 
ning the country, — for there were no trees save those 
following the river and for miles around the eye could 



traverse unbroken stretches of waving prairie grass. The 
lonely figure proved to be the young man he had located 
before. The father after helping construct the hastily 
formed sod house had driven back to Paola for the rest 
of the family. For weeks the boy had waited and watched 
with never a human voice to break the solitude, and so 
the family found him watching when they did arrive. It 
is interesting to note that some thirty or more descend- 
ants of this family live around these parts, and one of 
them is a member of Eunice Sterling Chapter D. A. R. 
(Ive Hall Wilkinson). 

There is a little lady in Sedgwick, Mrs. Chas. 
Schaefer, who journeyed into this valley in the spring of 
sixty-nine, driving from Lawrence here, suffering untold 
hardships. She located on a farm about six miles north 
of Wichita. The following summer a committee visited 
her, entreating her to teach a school in order that they 
might draw the first public school money for their (SeCK- 
wick) county. Although she had never had an idea of 
teaching, she went to Wichita, took an examination given 
by an authority sent from Topeka for the purpose, secured 
a certificate and taught a three months school for $20.00 
per month; thus receiving the first public school money 
for Sedgwick county, — and receiving all pay to which she 
was entitled excepting $10.00. 

I wonder if any remember hearing of a tragedy that 
took place in the Main street of your town in the summer 
of either seventy or seventy-one, when one — Jack Led- 
ford — was shot by U. S. soldiers. Mr. Schaefer says of 
him: "He was more sinned against than sinning. His 
turning bad as told me by Jack Bridges, the U. S. Mar- 
shal that was with the soldiers that killed Ledford was: 
'Captain Kirk, the Quartermaster at Foi't Hays, refused 
to pay Ledford his wages as Government Scout because 
General Sheridan wanted Jack and Jack would rather go 



with Sheridan than remain at Fort Hays. Kirk thought 
by refusing to pay Ledford he might hold him. Ledford 
foolishly determined to pay himself and stole two Govern- 
ment mules, thus becoming an outlaw!' Jack Ledford 
was a brave man and one to be depended on at all times. 
He would go through with dispatches when the rest failed. 
He kept his word to me and called off the 'boys' when 
they had sworn to kill me. I think it was in 1871 that 
the Company camped on my ranch on Emma's Creek the 
day before they found Jack." 

I will only tell you further a few of the difl'iculties 
that confronted a New England "school-ma'am"" who 
came here as a bride: — Houses without plastering, — where 
any inside finishing was used they were bricked up, for, 
said the settlers: "Plastering would never stick to the 
walls here, it blows so.'' And the wind did "blow so" 
that often articles set on the boards fitted between the 
beams would blow off. Wads of daddy-long-legs as big 
as one's fist often rolled out of the rafters. 

I might go on indefinitely to enumerate the things so 
difficult for those used to the comforts of the Eastern 
home, — but the fact remains that though in addition to 
minor difficulties sand storms filled their homes with dis- 
comfort, though prairie fires spread destruction, though 
grass-hoppers ate up all the sustenance, Kansas must 
have had a charm, for those who came stayed. It might 
have been to hunt the buffalo on the prairie or to pull 
75 pound cat-fish out of the river, — for they did such 
things in those days. Or it might have been for: 
"The mist on the far horizon, the infinite tender sky, 
The ripe rich tint of the corn field, and the wild geese 

sailing high. 
And all over upland and lowland the charm of the golden- 
rod. 
Which some of us call Autumn, and others call God." 



A Diary Compiled From the Pioneer Numbers of the Vidette, Beacon and Lagle 

From 1870 to 1879. 



The first recorded marriage in 
Wichita was Elias J. Marsh and Anna 
B. Peck May 9th, 1870. 

The first child born in Wichita was 
Franl^ H., son of Joseph P. Allen, 
druggist. July 3rd, 1870. 

August 13th, 1870.— Taken from 
the first issue of the Vidette. — "Fred 
A. Sowers, J. C. Burk and Captair: 
Pain went fishing in the Little Ar- 
kansas. They took out five hundred 
pounds of fish, the largest catfish 
weighing fifty-two pounds." 

Advertisement — 
"Tell me not in mournful numbers 
Life's a sc°ne of grief and tears; 
He who buys his drugs of Aliens 
Is sure to live a thousand years.'' 

"Three thorsand head of cattle over 
the trail on Friday morning." 

Eagle, April 12, 1872.— "First edi- 
tion. — Merchants end business men 
shou'd be careful not to obstruct the 
sidewalks with boxes fringed with 
half H'awn nails, or greasy loose 
hooped barrels. It is dangerous for 
pedestrians of whatever sex. and may 
be the cause of losing a valued cus- 
tome", or a n»w comer on first start 
whose trade in a year would build 
a warehouse." 

April 19th, 1872.— "It costs ten 



cents per ni'le to travel by stage in 
this country." 

"Emigrants are pouring in from all 
the states." 

"A Union Sabbath School has been 
organized to which all are invited." 

"West Wichita is growing in busi- 
ness and activit'es. When the bri:lge 
is done we will call it 'Over the 
Rhine' 'shoost for fun.' " 

"Piftv bushels of corn to the acre 
was raised on sod last year in this 
valley." 

June 14th, 1872.— "The efficiencv 
of oui' police was exemplified on 
Wednesday night. Mike Meagher, 
city marshal, went into a saloon and 
took a knife from a fellow's g'rdl? 
that looked like a butcher's clfave'' 
elongated. There were two together 
and they had concluded to stand him 
off, but finally were persuaded not to 
do so." 

Mr. H. Hills built the first two 
story brick building on Main Street, 
northeast corner. 

Sent. 19th. 1872— "There will be a 
meeting of the members of the hook 
and ladder company at the office of 
Mait'n, Phillips & Company on Sat- 
urday evening, September 21sl, at 



half after seven o'clock, as the ap- 
paratus is expected here next week. 
All of the members and as many as 
would like to join are requested to 
meet on this occasion." 

May lOth, 1872.— "An Indian grave- 
yard was found last Thursday in the 
upper town, in digging for brick clay. 
The skeleton, wrapped in a partially 
decayed buffalo robe, was brought 
out again upon its familiar heath, 
the buffalo grass, while the explorers 
delved for little Indian relics with the 
following results: Two silver ear 
lings, one bow and six arrows, one 
quiver and appurtenance, one brass 
army plate, two silver medals, one 
from Andrew Jackson's administra- 
tions, and one from F'anklin Pierce's 
as far as could be intelligently read, 
two partly decayed moccasins and 
two skulls." 

"The location of the M. E. parson- 
age has been changed to the lots ly- 
ing immediately south of W. B. 
Mead's new residence." 

May 17th, 1872.— "The first omni- 
bus and regular circus-wagon bag- 
gage tender that ever crushed the 
prairie blades nr threw mud on our 
thickly c'owded thoroughfare, passed 
down ;\lahi stieet this week from the 



end of the track. All hail to the 
omnibus, the bajfgage wafron, the 
drivers of both, and the horses like- 
wise; all of you hail, if you can, and 
welcome.'' 

May 24th, 1872.— "There will be 
Baptist preachinjj next Sabbath at 
the school house at eleven o'clock and 
at the Presbyterian church in the 
evening: at eight o'clock. All Baptist 
and all in sympathy with that de- 
nomination are requested to be pres- 
ent at the morning: service, as it is 
proposed to org-anize a Baptist 
church, at twelve o'clock or imme- 
diately after preaching." 

June 7th, 1872.— "On last Sabbath 
after the close of the morning- serv- 
ice, there was a Baptist Church or- 
g;anized with twenty-six members. 
Measures will be taken soon to erect 
a house of worship." 

May 31st, 1872.— "Our i^idewalks 
are ringing- with the jingling of the 
spurs of the Texas riders." 

October 17th, 1872.— "Richard Cog- 
dell, deputy county clerk, is building 
a nice residence on the corner of 
Waco and Third Street." 

October 24th, 1872.— "The Wichita 
Daily Beacon is the name of the new 
daily which made its appearance in 



our city last week. The Beacon is 
neat, tidy and spicy, filled with in- 
teresting locals, judicious editorials, 
and reliable news. Its proprietors 
are Messrs. Millison and Souers." 

October 3rd, 1872.— "The Presby- 
terian Society has rented the hall in 
the Eagle Block and will hold services 
there until further notice." 

October 31st, 1872.— "Long trains 
of emigrant wagons pass through our 
streets daily." 

November 14th, 1872. — "A delega- 
tion of Indian Chiefs, returning from 
Washington by way of Wichita, 
Chiefs Big Mouth, White Coon, Left 
Hand, Black Heap O' Bears and Yel- 
low Horse, arrived in Wichita last 
Saturday. Our fellow citizen, Wm. 
Greiffenstein, who has spent years 
among these sons of the prairie, was 
honored with a call from the whole 
delegation. Marching into his resi- 
dence in single file and solemn proces- 
sion, they singly and gravely, in turn, 
gave William a hearty hug and a 
grunt, and then announced that they 
had come for a talk. They spent two 
days in town with their interpreter 
and Monday morning started for their 
re.iervation." 

April 24, 1873.— "J. R. Mead's train 



arrived this week from Ft. Sill with 
five thousand dollars' worth of robes." 

November 21st, 1873. — "One of the 
most important real estate deals 
transacted was the purchase made by 
Morris Kohn of William Greiff'enstein 
northeast corner of Main and Doug- 
las Avenue for $2000." 

April 3, 1873.— "J. R. Mead furnishes 
the property owners of his addition 
with shade trees free of charge. All 
he asks of them is to set them out and 
take good care of them." 

January 1st, 1874.— "The Baptist 
Church was dedicated." 

"Col. Jenkins has commenced the 
erection of a ten room house on the 
corner of Second and Lawrence." 

February 12th, 1874.— "Wichita 
boasts the finest soprano singer in 
the state, Mrs. Catherine Russell." 

April 29th, 1874.— "At a spelling 
match by the Presbyterian Society 
at Eagle Hall. 'Heap o' fun' was 
had, and Clara Carpenter won a hand- 
some copy of Will Carlton's 'Farm 
Ballads,' as best speller." 

May 29th, 1874.— "The spelling 
mania has subsided and base ball is 
now raging. A club was organized 



Monday night with A. A. Hyde as 
Captain of the Nine. A handsome 
uniform has been adopted, funds es- 
tablished for the purchase of thumb 
stalls, court plaster and splints. A 
surgeon will be regularly employed 
during bowling and clubbing exer- 
cises, and the affair is in every in- 
stance to be regarded as a success.'' 

January 1st, 1874. — Advertisement 
— "The cry is money, and money I 
want; and for the next twenty days 
you can buy any goods in my .store 
at cost. — J. Oak Davidson. 

January 8th, 1874. — "There was re- 
ceived here on Tuesday news of the 
arrest of Rowdy Joe in Saint Louis." 

January 16th, 1874. — "Occidental 
Hotel will be prepared to handle 
guests Friday." 

August 24th, 1874.— "There was a 
called meeting of the Aid Society to 
be held at the residence of Mrs. Judge 
Fisher, to provide for the grasshopper 
sufferers. Signed, Mrs. J. H. Todd." 

September 24th, 1874.— "We see by 
the Leavenworth papers that E. H. 
Durfee, who established the trading- 
post of Wichita, is dead." 

October 1st, 1874. — "Large flocks 
of pelicans have been flying south- 
ward during the week." 



October 29, 1874.— "Rowdy Joe is 
dead." 

"Mrs. Russell gave a concert for 
charity which netted $.325.00." 

May 29th, 1873.— "Seventy-flve 
thousand head of cattle have already 
crossed the line of this state. Of 
these, fifty thousand are concentrated 
around Wichita." 

May 20th, 1875. — "Trees are 
springing up along our thorough- 
fares and up in front yards as if by 
magic. Wichita needed no arbor day 
set apart — the work began with 
spring. What a beautiful little prai- 
rie city we will have in a few years." 

Sept. 25th, 187.3.— "The biggest 
shipment of Texas cattle ever made 
in one day in this state was made last 
Sunday. 120 car loads of 20 head 
each, 2,400 head, were shipped inside 
of nine hours. It took 4 engines to 
pull this live freight. The value not 
less than .$28,800." 

October 1st, 1876. — "We are glad to 
chronicle the organization of a Y. M. 
C. A. of this city. The society has 
already nine members. Chas. David- 
son, President, Leonard Jackson, Sec- 
retary, Reuben Lawrence, Treasurer. 
The first meeting was held at the 
home of the President. Over twenty 
young men, principally students in 



our public schools, were in attend- 
ance." 

October 19th, 1876.— "Jimmie Black 
has taken possession of his new brick 
business room. It looks like business, 
light, roomy, and a fine open front." 

January 1, 1874. — ^"Wild turkeys 
are plentiful at forty cents a pound." 

January 28th, 1876.— "The starry 
banners of the noblest republic are 
being unfurled to the breeze. Con- 
nell & Basley and Burdean & Carter 
have run up beautiful flags. An ex- 
ample to be followed." 

May, 1876.— "Wichita City, May, 
1876 — Number of houses, seven hun- 
dred and forty-five, families, six 
hundred and ninety, persons, three 
thousand three hundred and fifty- 
seven." 

Douglas Avenue was named by Mr. 
N. A. English in honor of his valued 
friend, Stephen A. Douglas. 

The present generation may think 
the pioneer days of Wichita were 
prosy days — no trains to meet, no 
picture shows, no theatres, or ball 
games. Ask an old settler. He will 
say they were happy days. When 
there was a party, ball or wedding, 
old and young went. There were no 
invitations, no exclusive set, but all 
went in together for a good time. 



Eagle. September 11, 1879— "Lloyd 
B. Farrell got in an immense invoice 
of pictures last week — among them a 
lot of real oil iiaintings, which he will 
sell at surprisingly low figures." 

September 18. 1879— "An Archery 
Club has been organized with Mrs. 
W. E. Stanley, President; W. P. Stein, 
Secretary; John Tucker, Treasurer. 
The club will give an exhibition Thurs- 
day, September 18th, on the fair 
ground. — W. P. Stein, Secretary." 

"Miss Flora Pollock has returned 
from her visit north." 

' October 2nd— "The Keystone Cloth- 
ing House, Bitting Bros., come to the 
front this week on a double quarter 
ad. We will venture the assertion that 
there is not another clothing house 
in the state of Kansas that has a 
more complete and larger stock of 
goods than the Keystone." 

October 9th. — "Judge Little is build- 
ing an extra neat barn and stable on 
his premises." 



Eagle, September 13, 1879.— "Whit- 
ney Tucker kept very quiet about it 
until told that it was a boy, since 
which time the town is not big enough 
for the new father." 

Eagle, December 11, 1879.— "One' of 
the oldest and most respected of our 
citizens, D. S. Munger, a man full of 
years, and fully ripened to the har- 
vest, has gone from among us. His 
bent form will be missed upon our 
busy streets, and no more will his 
kindly face be seen, etc., etc." 

December 25th. — "For the first time 
New Years receptions will be in- 
augurated in this city. The following 
will keep open house and welcome all 
who may honor them with a New 
Year's call : Miss Pattie Todd will re- 
ceive at her home on P^ourth Avenue, 
assisted by Miss Eggleston, Misb 
Laura Eggleston and Miss Nellie Burr. 
Miss Libby Israel and Miss Nettie 



Lewis will receive with the Misses 
Hill, at Judge Hill's residence from 
two till eight p. m. Mrs. C. A. Van 
Ness, Mrs. D. Hays, Mrs. Dr. Russell, 
Miss Fannie Parker, Miss Minnie Van 
Ness and Miss Anna Kellogg will re- 
ceive with Mrs. Kos Harris from one 
to five p. m., at 119 South Main Street. 
The Misses Jewett and Miss Bullock 
will reeceive with Miss Pollock at the 
residence of Chas. Caldwell on To- 
peka Avenue. Mrs. S. D. Jackson and 
Mrs. E. P. Hovey, at their residence 
on Lewis Street, assisted by Mrs. W. 
C. Woodman, Mrs. W. S. Woodman, 
Mrs. Thos. Woodman and Miss Linda 
Carver. Mrs. J. P. Furlong and Mrs. 
F. W. Waller, Jr., Emporia Avenue, 
North End French Villa residence. The 
Misses West, corner Emporia Avenue 
and Second Street. Mrs. W. S. Cor- 
bett at her residence on Topeka Ave- 
nue, assisted by Mrs. L. C. Wilson and 
Mrs. Dr. McAdams. 



Personal Property— Tax Roll of Sedgwick County, Kansas, for 1 870 
as to Wicfiita Township, as Shown 



Personal Property 
Name. Tax, 3':^^ 

Allison, J. M. $ 900.00 

Alliston, C. C 150.00 

Allen, J. P 898.00 

Allbaugh, I. B 100.00 

Aldric'i & Simmons .325 00 

Btiggs, J. M -. 145 00 

Bowers, R. M 615 01 

Boggs, W. K 615.00 

Bolte & Co., H 250 00 

Bai'ey, C. A 800.00 

Creswell. S. G. 350.00 

Clark, George E.. 1480.00 

Dunlap. L 20 00 

Dunlap, H 770.00 

Davidson, John 210 00 

Dickey, J. B 150.00 

Drew, Mrs. M 350.00 

English, N. A 655.00 

Elder, I. J 45.00 

Everetts, Mrs. L 600 00 

Fitzgerald, S. W 740 00 

Fisher, L. D. .._ 225 00 

Fplkenstein, John 412.00 

Finn. W'lliam 75.00 

Fulton. F. J 150 00 

GUI, G. F 290.00 



G'll, William 90.00 

Gre-ffenstein, William 3175.00 

Giaham, G 220.00 

Greenway, A. J (590.00 

Garrison, C. M 400 00 

Houston, J 50.00 

Hoover, S 375.00 

Hunter, C. H 298.00 

Hoover, D. H 1020.00 

Hills, Chas. W 850.00 

Houston, W. R. L 499.00 

Hubbard, P. C 810.00 

Hall, M. K 350.00 

-lordan, G. L. 

Johnston, S. C - 690.00 

Johnson & Co., George.. 2000 00 

Lewellen, D. 1750.00 

Leakin, M. H 250.00 

Ledrick, Phil 700.00 

Munger. D. S 71.00 

Mead, J. R 350 00 

Matzel & Hubbard 2550.00 

Piatt, S. T 145.00 

Peck, E. A J65.00 

Peyton, John 200.00 

Price, I. E 2000.00 

Kamlow, H. C 535 00 

Rowton, J. L 6500 

Riggs, R - 400.00 



Russell, 

Rymer, H. J 400.00 

Snow 470.00 

Sul'ivan, C. E. 431.00 

Sharp, George 380 00 

Smith, Henry 330.00 

Sales, M. A 790.00 

Sales, A. M 108.00 

Slaughter 60.00 

Smith, William 2675.00 

Scouton, G. P 275.00 

Sm'th & Co.. Geo 2500.00 

Scblichter, George 1800.00 

Taylor, J. R 160 00 

Teter, C 50.00 

Taybr, W. G 202.00 

Vigus, H. W . 

Van Buren, William 450.00 

Walker, W. M. 690 00 

Wrght. W. F 663.00 

Wa-d, J 

Walker, I. C 465.00 

Waterman, S. N 

W-terman. E. P 160.00 

Widener, C. 380.00 

Wiight, M. P 200.00 



$45,296.00 



The Old Settlers' Club was organized for social pleasure. On this particular occasion they were enjoying their 
annual club dinner at the home of Mr. Finlay Ross. The ladies wore beautiful gowns of earlier days. 



Jlr. 


:>ll(l 


Mr.s. 


Geo. Xiilly. 


Mr. 


and 


.Mr.s. C. W. Bitting. 


.Ml-, and .Mrs. 


f!. 


M 


Whitney. 


.Ml-. 


and Mi-s. W, 


.7. Wriser 


Mr. 


and 


Mrs. 


W. C. Little. 


.Mrs 


H. 


T. Kramer 


ilr. and Mrs. 


O. 


D. 


Barnes. 


Mrs 


A ley 




Mr 


and 


Mrs. 


H. C. Sluss. 


.Mr. 


a)id 


Mrs. Kos Harris. 


Miss Reed. 








itrs. 


J. P. Allen. 




Mr. 


and 


Mr.-i. 


.1. H. Black. 


Mr 


and 


Mrs. Geo. Dickson. 


Mr. and Mrs. 


C. 


V. 


Ferguson. 








Mr. 


and 


Mrs. 


.1. L. Dyer 


Mr. 


and 


Mrs. Fred Smyth. 


Mr. and Mrs. 


E. 


B. 


.lewett. 









LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




016 088 465 4 



